


A Scarecrow to scare crows

by britishflower



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Angst with happy ending(???), F/M, Kherguud Jesper, M/M, Mild Blood and Gore, switching POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:53:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12112119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/britishflower/pseuds/britishflower
Summary: Jesper goes missing for months on end. The remaining crows and Kuwei go to find where the Grisha sharpshooter went missing. They find something even worse...





	1. Prologue

It felt like someone was taking him apart and putting him back together. Beatings that ripped flesh and tore muscles then replaced by brightly colored fabric. A metal guard covered his mouth to tone down the screaming that came with the pain. He didn't do anything to do this but that's what he got. It was punishment for being a Grisha, for being a Fabrikator, for hiding his powers for so long.

His thoughts tittered in his mind as he tried to keep it together, they gave him Jurda Parnem to make him like the others. Dim minded and listless but still he struggled on keeping his own thoughts now. One thing kept his mind together. Wylan. Precious Wylan.

   
Jesper took in a deep breath through his nose. He'd keep his mind, Kherguud or not. He wasn't going to leave the others.

Another guard came in and forced Jesper to his jagged stilts for legs. Another force of changing and modifying was all he could think of. Another thought crossed his mind.

_2 days. 2 more days and you will be gone._

 

It was his best and only hope to survive and get back to Ketterdam.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wylan tries to find out what happened to Jesper.  
> A monster makes itself known.

Wylan had his doubts. It wasn't a new thing but the problem is a serious matter. Jesper still wasn't found, he was missing, lost and unknown as to where he went. Wylan had been trying his best to get news about what happened to the sharp shooter. Not a single thing except his traveling papers, which were useless to Wylan; Jesper's luggage had been returned, that held very little of Jesper's bright clothing, a few note books with a few important notes, as before still useless; and a single bullet, that was the only item that made sense.

  
Wylan set the bullet up to stand on its flat end. He stared at it like the gunpowder loaded item would provide any answers. He dropped his head into his arms. Nothing. A knock came from the door and the boy stumbled to get up.

  
Kaz stared at Wylan with the least amount of interest. He walked into the room slowly, Wylan felt anxious by the fact that Kaz had said nothing so far.  
When the Crow leader sat down, Kaz spoke "Are you going to stand around all day or are you going to take a seat?" he snapped.

  
Wylan sat down at his seat hastily, Kaz tapped his gloved fingers on the head of his cane. Wylan fumbled with a piece of torn lemon yellow fabric "So did you and Inej get any word about Jesper or his whereabouts?" he asked.  
Kaz placed a map on the desk. It had notes, additional drawings. One area had been draw out in dotted lines with something scribbled above it. That build was connected to a road on the map. That was the road Jesper went missing on.  
Kaz tapped the building "This building is hidden, its three miles away from the main road. The rumor about this main road is Grisha go missing on it and only Grisha," he explained.

  
Wylan racked his brain on why. His thoughts turned up blank "But why?" he asked.

  
Kaz had the look, his scheming face. Wylan felt the regret building inside "People say that its the Shu, stealing Grisha for something but what it is? Nobody knows," he said.

 

 

The plan Kaz had built was the worse compared to the ice court. The plan was Wylan, Inej, Nina, Kuwei, and himself were going to pass by that main road. A large group of Grisha going to somewhere to meet up with someone. If it worked out they were going to get captured and go to this mystery base and break Jesper out then leave.

  
The plan backfired about two days before it was to begin. A big monster had attacked. A kherguud called Scarecrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for comments so ya know.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scarecrow is a precious baby.

How Scarecrow came forth was unexpected, to say the least. Wylan and Nina, Inej somewhere in stealth mode, were are the docks. A ship was coming into port with no intention of throwing anchor. Wylan went stiff when a ship rammed right up against the stone railing. It exploded, waves swaying back and forth. A horrifying creature crawled out from the gaping hole of the demolished front.

  
Wylan had seen Kherguuds before but nothing like this. It had a mix-match coloring of fabrics and the dark skin of a Novyi Zem, its mouth was stitched to look sealed shut but the lemon yellow and lime green fabric was parted to show a small bit of sharpened teeth. It looked over the docks as people screamed and made attempts to flee. Scarecrow's gaze landed on Wylan, it bellowed out an inhumane screech and launched itself off boat. Nina and Wylan started running.

  
The Kherguud shoved and knocked people out of the way. Its clawed hand gripped onto Wylan's shirt, pulling him back aggressively. Wylan felt fear rising as it brought him closer, the shirt it wore was a tattered, faded lemon yellow, the chest cavity was open like something could fit inside. Wylan wished he could cry out or scream but the darkness of Scarecrow's chest cut off any of his cries to the outside. Now his cries of help were between him and the monster.

 

Nina had heard of Scarecrow. The rumors of a Kherguud that looked like a terrifyingly hybrid of flesh, fabric and thread had been attacking Grishas for over two weeks now in Ravka. Here it stood, touching its closed up chest as if it didn't want to harm the person inside. Nina screamed as she brought forth her power, she want going to lost anyone else to some unholy fate. Scarecrow screeched at her, rushing forward on it's stilts for legs. A hand was close to clamping on her face but something had stopped it. A pained cry and just as it appeared, Scarecrow was gone like it never existed. Inej came out of the darkness "Are you hurt?" she asked.

  
Nina shook her head slowly "It... Wylan... Gone," she muttered.

  
Inej looked around "Where is he?" she asked.

  
Nina felt like crying "Inej, that thing took Wylan," she said.

 

Wylan felt weightless as he fell onto a... Bed? Or at least something similar to a bed. It was a bunch of old pillows, blankets, and mattresses pressed together. Some of the pillows were thin, slightly dam, or was almost worn but others were thick, dry, or felt completely new. Saints where is he? Something moved next to Wylan. He looked over reluctantly. Scarecrow was standing with a bundle in it's arms. Just more blankets and a few pillows. Wylan moved as the creature dropped the bundle on its makeshift mattress hoard them began sorting the items. Brightly colored fabrics were pushed near a wall, dark colored fabrics were laid onto the ground. The blankets were bright and the pillows were dark. Wylan stared at it, trying to make out what this Kherguud looked like with it being closer.

Scarecrow looked down at Wylan. It couldn't make out the smudgy blur. The familiar feeling of the glass lenses in its eyes had begun to shift and move until the figure became clearer, next to the pale person was a bright purple blanket. The creature rose slowly and walked over to the person. They tried to move back, Scarecrow reached forward to grab the blanket while its lenses tried to keep everything in focus for it's vision. It stopped when the person was pressed up on the purple blanket. Scarecrow reached over to nudge the person away but they flinched. The kherguud made a noise, somewhere between a creaky step on a stair and a old door hinge that needed to be oiled. Why were they scared? It wasn't going to do anything to them.

Wylan kept his eyes open as the creature moved a hand close to his face. The creature's hands were knobby and thin, Its fingers were sharpened claws with a little hole in the tips. Scarecrow made the same noise and pushed a lose curl of hair from his face. Its hand stayed there, nestled softly into Wylan's hair then left quickly as it yanked a blanket from behind Wylan. In return a knife was dropped on the ground. Wylan grabbed it "How did you get this?" he asked. It was one of Inej's knife, Wylan couldn't remember the name. Scarecrow didn't respond just simply tore some of the purple fabric and placed it in the back of its hand. Little white threads came from its fingertips. Wylan watched as it worked on sewing the purple fabric to its hand, the creature stopped when it noticed him staring. Scarecrow stood up to its full height, it was looked like 8? Possibly 9 feet tall? And slowly walked over to Wylan. Its legs were like silts, that's probably the reason as to why it was so tall, but where flesh need and wood started made Wylan unsure. This thing was a human at one point, a Grisha as well, and their whole demeanor had been morphed into this creature that stood before him. It grabbed a pillow and gently placed it next to Wylan. The merchant boy looked at the pillow, a soft dark blue with fringing on the sides. Another pillow was placed down, followed by another, and another, and another until Wylan was surrounded, covered, and pressed up to pillows. He felt embarrassed, just a moment ago this creature was kidnapping him and now it was babying him under a mass of pillows. Something about this was eerily familiar too, the creature laid a blanket on Wylan, keeping it below his neck and laid down next to him. Well not next but an arm length away from him. Scarecrow made another noise and relaxed, the bright lights of its glass eyes dimming to a dull glow. A hand rested over Wylan's chest, making it obvious he wasn't going anywhere.


	4. Chapter 3

Wylan felt tense when the creature crawled down from its perch. Scarecrow was not happy. For a moment it didn't see him but the closer it got and the better its eyes had adjusted, the Kherguud grew angry. Wylan was supposed to be inside the shelter, not outside where he could be hurt. Scarecrow made a noise at its little pet, something between a groan of metal ready to break and the growl of an animal.   
Wylan moved when the creature went to grab him. Scarecrow repeated the noise with more force.  
Wylan ran.

A screech boomed far of in an alley of Ketterdam. Nina moved over to a window, it wasn't possible. She had almost missed the sound. So faint, so tiny against the busting noise of Ketterdam but the only creatures that made sounds like that were... The idea was outrageous but after what she had done and what they all had done before, impossible ideas weren't that out of reach. She bolted to the front door. There was still a Kherguud in Ketterdam.

Wylan ran as fast as he could, barely missing the encompassing grasp of the beast following him. The claws barely missing the tail of his makeshift shirt. He was so glad for his smaller height when he ducked inbetween a set of crates. As he came out of the other side, Wylan had finally gotten out of an alley and into a empty dock.   
He took a deep breath but didn't stop entirely. As Wylan turned around he saw a clawed hand burst through where he came from. The merchant yelped and stumbled back as the claws dug into the wood and pulled back. A desperate, almost sadden whine came from the behind the boxes.   
Wylan took a few steps back, his heart was pounding and his mind was racing. He braced for the creature to brust through and take him; yet it never came. He brushed his hand through his hair to push the red bangs back. He had gotten away but for how long until Scarecrow captured him again? Wylan wasn't going to wait to find out when that was going to happen and begun walking down the wooden boardwalk, he needed to get somewhere else. Somewhere far away from this thing.

  
Scarecrow let out a creak as it crawled back into its shelter. The being along the walls and ground felt empty without its little pet being there. No little Wylan to be sitting in the far off corner, trying to stay ways from it as far as he could get. Honestly the Kherguud didn't understand why Wylan did such a thing when it would provide food, bedding, some clothing made from the fabric of pillow or blanket or both. At the end of day when it grew dark like now, it would cradle him close for warmth and safety. As Scarecrow padded down to their resting spot the space felt only empty, cold, and lonely without its pet. All bets were off, it was going to pull out all the stops to get its pet back.  
The creature shivered as it tapped into those abilities it held deep inside. Fabric melted into dark skin, its body began morphing itself as it begun to shrink into a old but familiar form. Claws rounded off into nimble hands, fanged teeth dulled and were hidden behind scarred lips, the stills broke and bent into bare feet.  
Scarecrow released a deep breath that it had held in once the changing was finished. The human Kherguud shuddered "I'm here," it whispered to itself.


	5. Chapter 5

Nina almost cried out when she saw the disheveled red hair and flushed face that belonged to a boy named Wylan.   
She couldn't believe he was alive, Alive and looking like a wrecked mess, but still alive. She had pulls him into a tight hug, possibly squishing the poor boy. When they parted Nina kept her hands on Wylan's shoulders "I thought you had been killed!" she said.  
Wylan had a sad lopk in his eyes "I thought I was going to die!" he replied. They hugged again, glad that he was safe and still alive.  
When Nina had taken Wylan to see Kaz and Inej, the wraith was happy to see him again as well.  
Kaz had given some regards to the boy surviving but he was more focused on something else "What did it do?" he asked.  
Wylan flushed red at the thought of what happened "It um... It treated me like a pet, smothering me, feeding me three times a day, occasionally let me out but only within its sight range," he explained.  
That earned his a curious look from Inej and Nina. Kaz had shown no shock, surprise or any other emotion but it was Kaz so who knows.  
Someone came into the room where the four were at. Kuwei was panting as he was entirely out of breath "You will not believe who showed up," he said.  
They shared a curious look to each other. Something about his reaction was odd.

Wylan was the first down the stairs and couldn't believe who he was staring at. Scars decorated his skin, he made the Ravkan King's scars look like merely a few.  
His lips and eyes were tore at but he had his signature heart melting smile and heated gaze. His hands had looked as if they been sliced around each knuckle and on his wrist. What had happen to him?  
Wylan didn't want to know right now "JESPER!" he yelled.   
Jesper looked over to where his friends "Hey! I was wondering when you'd get here!" he called, his voice was hoarse and raspy.  
Wylan snorted at Kaz's startled face for a mere second then it calmed again. Such was Kaz.

Jesper wrapped his long dark arms around Wylan as they stood in Kaz's office. He kept nuzzling himself into Wylan's soft red locks. Saints blessed he missed him so much. The beast inside lurking below the surface in hopes of something to do with it's pet. Its sweet and gentle pet that ran away from him who he cared so much for. Jesper couldn't help himself as a soft creak. They were busy talking to noticed him make noise but Wylan stiffened. He had heard. He had heard what noise Jesper made.  
Jesper moved to kiss Wylan's neck softly "Why so tense Merchling?" he asked.  
Wylan shivered at the soft breath on his ear "Nothing, must have been a window shutter or something," he replied.  
Jesper hummed softly as he kissed Wylan's neck again. No need for alarm Merchling, no need for alarm... Yet.


End file.
